I've been looking up a lot of music notation recently and I'm wondering, when I read a note, how do I know what string I'm supposed to play that note on, I don't have much experience at all with music notation so any advice is welcome, and before the question is asked I do play on taking lessons, but not for a few months. Thanks guys.
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This may be a silly question but...
- Thread starter RxFunk
- Start date
I would imagine the two considerations are:
1) Which position is easier / faster to get to and from the next and previous note.
2) Which string gives the better tone eg. open vs fretted notes.
3) Will never be an issue with me, as I lack the reading music gene!
1) Which position is easier / faster to get to and from the next and previous note.
2) Which string gives the better tone eg. open vs fretted notes.
3) Will never be an issue with me, as I lack the reading music gene!
The way I look at it is how high the music notes are on the paper; if you are on ledger lines above than play further up the neck. Low on the lines and you are first position or near the tuning keys. If you pick up a book of scales with notes and tab, it'll be easy to see. I'm no expert tho...
If the author wants to indicate a string choice, the typical notation is a Roman numeral. Otherwise, it's your choice, and you'd choose in the same way that you would if picking up a bass line by ear, or just making one up. Minimize the number of awkward stretches and shifts.
String choice and fingerings are occasionally indicated in exercise books or in some Classical material. Often, they are only marked when the preferred choice isn't obvious. In bass parts written by contemporary arrangers such as big-band charts, I have never seen fingering or string indications. The arranger probably doesn't know the bass well enough to make a good choice.
On upright bass, I'm presently working through a book of cello exercises, so of course I have to ignore all of the written fingerings!
String choice and fingerings are occasionally indicated in exercise books or in some Classical material. Often, they are only marked when the preferred choice isn't obvious. In bass parts written by contemporary arrangers such as big-band charts, I have never seen fingering or string indications. The arranger probably doesn't know the bass well enough to make a good choice.
On upright bass, I'm presently working through a book of cello exercises, so of course I have to ignore all of the written fingerings!
That's generally how I see it as well, but there are so many notes per string(on my current bass, 22 frets +open string =23 per string) that I get confused as to where I should be going. Like, should I keep going up or down this string, or go to the next string, is it up to you based upon what is closest to where you fingers are at currently, or is there a way that determines it for sure?
Notes are notes bro. As long as you can get to the next one, it doesn't matter where you came from.
There's no hard-and-fast rule here, and different bassists will have different approaches. I suggest looking at the whole line from top to bottom, and choose a path that requires the smallest number of shifts. Write down the finger and string numbers (arabic numbers for fingers, roman numbers for strings) on the page. Get yourself up to reasonable speed using those fingerings. Then try variations and see if there is a way that sounds better, is less awkward, and so forth.
Fingering, i.e., which finger and string to use next for a given passage, is a personal and lifelong pursuit. We don't even all have the same fingering technique. For instance, I'm a 1-2-4 guy, whereas other players use all 4 fingers.
There is no way to know for sure since in many cases it is not written for a standard tuned bass guitar anyway. It comes from experience, where you were and where you are going and should you need to add to the written note what can be easier to move from/to when improvising
Just like other things like muting strings, you keep practicing and get used to it and it comes.
When you put the piece of music on the stand. Give it a 5-second once-over. (I assume you are familiar with position-scales, like major/minor etc. all in one position)
what is the lowest note, highest note, the key?
Are there a lot of jumping octaves? You'll wanna play that part in the position you'll need to be in to reach those highest notes.
I sub a lot and some gigs include charts and many are reading gigs with music over never read before. I have become comfortable just through experience and practice, but it has become essential and second nature now to look a few bars ahead of where the music is to see where the line is going. That will generally determine my position on the neck. When I happen to be around he 5th fret and I have an A or a D or something I just play the open or fretted note depending on how it sounds.
Take some pieces and practice them beyond sight reading, learn them. Experiment with positions and fingerlings and start looking ahead a little. The more experience you get with more pieces of music the more you'll figure out how to lay it down second nature.
When you put the piece of music on the stand. Give it a 5-second once-over. (I assume you are familiar with position-scales, like major/minor etc. all in one position)
what is the lowest note, highest note, the key?
Are there a lot of jumping octaves? You'll wanna play that part in the position you'll need to be in to reach those highest notes.
I sub a lot and some gigs include charts and many are reading gigs with music over never read before. I have become comfortable just through experience and practice, but it has become essential and second nature now to look a few bars ahead of where the music is to see where the line is going. That will generally determine my position on the neck. When I happen to be around he 5th fret and I have an A or a D or something I just play the open or fretted note depending on how it sounds.
Take some pieces and practice them beyond sight reading, learn them. Experiment with positions and fingerlings and start looking ahead a little. The more experience you get with more pieces of music the more you'll figure out how to lay it down second nature.
This is all good stuff. Try and play what you are reading in different positions. Some will be natural and easy for sure. If reading is your aspiration go ahead and pick up a book and start working on it. There are tons of good ones. It will have you reading and playing up and down the neck in no time. In other situations such as learning a song with another guitarist, he/she may just tell you the chord progression and it's up to you to find where it works on the neck. I'd say since you are playing a bass after all to explore lower positions first then work your way up, unless you are deliberately going for the higher tone of the higher positions.
Our instrument is a three octave instrument. So... that means you are going to have three C's, three D's etc. somewhere on your neck.
I look upon standard notation as having three locations for the notes - lower ledger notes - the one below the staff. Middle staff notes - the notes within the staff. And then upper ledger notes - those above the staff.
Look at your music and how much do you have of each? Then decide where you are going to be able to find those notes - in a cluster - on your fretboard. Play them from there.
Go here http://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/bass-clef-fretboard-notes/ then click on the Bass Clef notes on the fretboard PDF. and you will find that the place is probably in the middle of your fretboard. But the old guys are telling you to grab your notes up around the nut, what is a guy to do? Do what the instructor you are going to get tells you. There are a number of ways to attack your original question. You may end up not even playing from standard notations, but, instead use fake chord sheet music and play the notes of the chords that are active - at this moment - in the song.
Until you get your instructor try this Internet site www.studybass.com and of course ask specific questions here, someone will always help.
Welcome to the bottom end.
I look upon standard notation as having three locations for the notes - lower ledger notes - the one below the staff. Middle staff notes - the notes within the staff. And then upper ledger notes - those above the staff.
Look at your music and how much do you have of each? Then decide where you are going to be able to find those notes - in a cluster - on your fretboard. Play them from there.
Go here http://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/bass-clef-fretboard-notes/ then click on the Bass Clef notes on the fretboard PDF. and you will find that the place is probably in the middle of your fretboard. But the old guys are telling you to grab your notes up around the nut, what is a guy to do? Do what the instructor you are going to get tells you. There are a number of ways to attack your original question. You may end up not even playing from standard notations, but, instead use fake chord sheet music and play the notes of the chords that are active - at this moment - in the song.
Until you get your instructor try this Internet site www.studybass.com and of course ask specific questions here, someone will always help.
Welcome to the bottom end.
I'm going to try what you said, and experiment with my positions and try to play them in the most comfortable position for me. Thanks.
Thanks for the sites, and for informing me that the bass was a three octave instrument as I had heard previously that it was only two. Things are definitely making more sense now.
Bumping this up to say that I also found another site that may be helpful to others, because it was definitely helpful to me. It's called musictheory.net. Hope that it helps someone looking for some basic theory knowledge.
Yes that is a great site. Lessons, then go to common chord progressions. Great paper on what chords like to go to what other chords. One of the WOW''s for me.
Have fun.
Thanks, I have been, I've also been writing down everything off of the site, because everything there seems so relevant and helpful for understanding theory. It's also all presented in an easy to understand format, really glad I found this site, I'm about to make it to the chord section that you were talking about too.
